


Anchoring Thread

by whiteraven1606



Series: Rebuilt in Patchwork [5]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Anxiety, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-27
Updated: 2013-05-27
Packaged: 2017-12-13 02:41:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/819009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whiteraven1606/pseuds/whiteraven1606
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hulk gives Tony his opinion of Tony not having any armor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Anchoring Thread

****

Tony stared across the desert as behind him Butterfingers and Dum-E trundled down the ramp from the back of the bus to the cement slab that was Dr. Foster's patio. "Wow, it is hot out here. How do you put up with it?"

Dr. Foster rolled her eyes and turned a little to keep Coulson in her line of sight. "That's what air conditioning is for. You said he was alright?"

Tony nodded. "Yeah. Thor was fine. Little stab wound from Loki, but Thor assured me he'd get it patched up in no time. He said he'd be back."

Foster nodded. "Agent Coulson had one of his flunkies whisk me away. I knew something was going down, but I didn't realize Thor would come back from Asgard for it. You don't know about the state of the repairs to the Rainbow Bridge?"

Tony shook his head. "Nope. He didn't say. I do know he'll get back to you when he can."

She nodded. "Right." She cocked her head as Butterfingers whirled his arm around looking at everything with his camera. "They don't get out much, do they?"

Tony grinned. "Not normally."

"Uh huh." She glanced down the street to the building Tony had bought. "You plan on buying the whole town?"

"Nah. Just a building for us to stay in so we don't freak out the hotel staff when I finally manage to figure out Bruce's Hulk-out button."

Foster snorted. "Just, maybe, push that button while you are out in the desert. We had enough clean up from the first time Thor visited."

****

Bruce watched the team as they assembled near the bomb shelter built into the dirt of Tony's weapons testing range. "I still don't see why I'm out here."

Tony leaned against him. "Same as me. Cap said we had to be out here."

Steve turned and frowned at them. "We are a team. If I could get Thor here, then I would. Tony, where is your armor?"

Tony huffed and shook his head. "You didn't get the memo?" He turned to Bruce. "He didn't hear? You didn't tell him." He turned back "Pepper didn't tell you?" Tony squinted at him. "You didn't listen to me when I said I wanted to steal Rodney's armor?"

"I did listen, but I thought..." Steve cocked his head. "Tell me what about you armor?"

Bruce braced against Tony's side. "He blew up all of them."

Tony's breathing picked up.

Steve blinked, frowned, blinked again, and then came closer. He knelt down and looked Tony in the eye. "Tony, who told you that was a good idea?"

Tony winced and looked down at his knees. "Pepper didn't like the armors. She would have pitched a fit after seeing how many I made."

"How many?"

Bruce nodded. "He went from mark seven to 42 in right at six months."

Steve's eyebrows rose. "Wow. Uh, okay. So you...didn't test them like the first ones. There isn't time in there for that."

"There is if you don't sleep."

Bruce smacked Tony's shoulder. "You didn't refine. You just created them."

Tony nodded. "Well, yeah, that's true. I was having trouble with Mark 42, so I sort of got stuck on it for about three weeks." He shrugged. "Then all of...that happened."

Steve nodded. "Alright. Are you going to make another?"

Tony rubbed his elbow with his other hand. "I...don't know. I _want_ another. I don't know if I need one. You know?"

Steve stood back up. "Think it over." He held out his hand. "Come on, Doctor Banner. We need you to suit up."

Bruce shook his head. "Oh, no. I do not..."

Steve pulled him upright by a hand wrapped around Bruce's upper arm. "Bruce. If we don't practice we'll never know if Hulk can work with us."

"He can kill you."

"Lots of things could kill me. I don't think Hulk will." Steve gave Bruce a gentle push. "Out. Go."

****

Hulk huffed as the Team, not all Team, looked up at him. He turned around looking for the rest of Team. "Gone where?"

Starman patted at his forearm when he stopped turning. "Iron Man is over there." He pointed at the little not-hill hidey building. "Thor is in Asgard."

Hulk frowned. Asgard was too far for him to jump to reach. He looked at Starman. "Hulk smash?"

Starman looked around. "Actually, I thought you might want to get to know us. We could get to know you?"

Hulk looked at RedhairLiar. "Hulk no want talk to liar."

She nodded. "Yeah, I didn't think you'd be over that yet."

CupidClint smiled. "What about me, Big Guy?"

Hulk considered it and picked up CupidClint by his pointy stick holder. "Hulk like Cupid."

CupidClint grinned. "Awesome. Could you put me back down now? Gently?"

Hulk sat him down, careful not to smash. He turned towards the little hidey building. "Tony-inside hide from Hulk?"

Tony-inside appeared from the hidey building. "No, no. I just can't train with you guys since I don't have armor."

Hulk frowned at the sour smell on Tony-inside. He picked up Tony-inside and moved away from the Team. There was yelling and Hulk roared at them to make them stop.

Tony-inside clung to Hulk's thumb. "Little warning, huh? I have kids now so don't go smashing me, buddy."

Hulk sat down and nestled Tony-inside in his lap. "Hulk not smash. Like Tony-inside."

Tony-inside smiled up at him and the sour smell died down a little. "Thanks. That's...good to know."

Hulk huffed and tucked Tony-inside under his chin. "Hulk want know why Tony-inside have no armor."

"You and Bruce don't talk much, huh?" He shifted and leaned back against Hulk's chest. "I blew them all up because I thought it was the right thing to do at the time."

Hulk rumbled.

"See, I figured that I didn't have to be Iron Man again. That there's the rest of the Avengers. Charles' mutants and all. SHEILD. What does the world need me for?"

"What does Tony-inside need?"

Tony-inside snorted. "Like anyone besides me cares about...You know, Big Guy, you make a strong case for giving a shit. I had even made an armor to spar with you."

"Spar?"

"Means play fight. Fighting, but no last smash, you know?"

Hulk rumbled again and shifted them around to put his back to the approaching Team. "Want Spaceman. Hulk want Tony-inside safe."

"Tony!"

Tony-inside tipped his head back. "Fucking mother hen, I'm telling you. Don't say fucking though. Coulson would skin me." He dropped his head back down. "I'm fine! You don't need to yell!"

Hulk huffed. "Friend Agent not dead."

"Yeah. See, I knew you and Bruce shared stuff. Hey, are you all worried about me because of Bruce worrying? That's just unneeded."

Hulk grunted and rocked back and forth as Team approached. "Hulk like Tony-inside for self. Not for Puny Bruce. Hulk no like no armor. Tony-inside fix."

"I'll see what I can do, buddy. Can I get down now?"

Hulk huffed and gently sat down Tony-inside as Team arrived.

Starman patted Tony-inside all over. "You okay, Stark?"

Tony-inside batted at him. "I'm fine. Hulk just wanted to give advice on my not having armor."

Hulk flopped over onto his back. "Hulk want ShoutyHair. Hulk get to smash when fighting ShoutyHair."

They all looked up as thunder sounded across the desert.

****


End file.
